Snap-seal.



E. J. BROOKS.

SNAP SEAL.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2, 1915.

1 1 38,350., Patented May 4, 1 915.

THE NORRIS PETERS co.. FHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGYUN, D.

EDWARD J. BROOKS, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

SNAP-SEAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 2, 1915. Serial No. 5,677.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD J. BROOKS, a

I citizen of the United States of America, and

a resident of East Orange, in the State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Snap-Seals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates, in common with numerous previous improvements, to selffastening seals, or snap seals as they arecommonly termed, for useas substitutes for lead and wire seals and other pressfastened or press-fastenable sealing devices, to secure the doors of railway freight cars and for other like purposes. Recent examples of such snap seals are set forth in my previous specifications forming part of United States Letters Patent No. 1,030A5S, patented June 25, 1912; No. 1,052,562, patented February 11, 1913; No. 1,092,820, patented April 1 1, 1914:; No. 1,107 ,026, patented August 11, 191 1; and in the specifications of United States Letters Patent No. 1,056,623, patented March 18, 1913, and No. 1,093,250,

patented April 1 1, 191 1, for inventions of Winfred Mudge Brooks.

The type of snap seal common to those specifications is distinguished by the combination of a resiliently flexible shackle having a. normally fiat withdrawal resisting catch portion at each end, a two-piece bulbshaped seal part having an inlet hole in its top, and a double .,.center piece supported within said seal part in'juxtaposition to said inlet hole and having a central guide portion which protrudes therethrough; both shackle ends being further provided with embossed inlet guards, and the inlet hole having a central enlargement to admit stem portions of said inlet guards.

The present invention consists in an improved center piece, for a snap seal of above type, as hereinafter particularly described; and in an improved snap seal embodying said center piece.

- The leading objects of this invention are to facilitate and insure fully and securely locking the respective shackle ends at the snap-fastening operation.

Other objects will be set forth in the general description, which follows:

A sheet of drawings accompanies this specification as part thereof.

Figure 1 is an edge view of an improved center piece; Fig. 2 represents a section on the line A-B, Fig. 1; Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively top and side views of the same center piece; Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively side and top views of a seal part inclosing said center piece; Fig. 7 is a face view of an improved snap seal comprising said seal part and an appropriate shackle, showing the same as'it leaves the factory; Fig. 8 is an elevation of the same seal, snap fastened, with its shackle in edge view, illustrating the application of the seal to car-door staples; Fig. 9 represents a magnified cross section on the line CD, Fig. 8, showing a bottom view of the center piece; Figs. 10 and 11 representmagnified sections on the line EF,'Fig; 8, with the'shackle end in the'foreground in its fastening and fastened positions in the respective figures; Fig. 12 represents a section through the fastened snap seal on the line GH, Fig. 9; Fig. 18 is anedge view of a modified center piece; and Fighl l represents a section on the line IJ, Fig. 13.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in all the figures.

The improved snap seal is composed of a bulb-shaped seal part, a, a resiliently flexible shackle, b, and an improved double posed as heretofore of bulb pieces 1 and 2,

permanently united :by a circumferential seam 3 after inclosing the center pieceo, it is provided with an inlet hole A in its top piece 1, adapted to admit the ends 5 and 6 of the shackle I) on the respective sides of a protruding guide portion 7 of the center piece (2, and centrally enlarged to fit inlet guards 8 and 9 on the respective shackle ends; its bottom piece 2 is further provided with an annular shoulder 10 to engage the bottom bends 11, 12, 13, 11 of the center piece 0i or 0 so as to support the center piece within the seal part'in an efiective position.

The shackle b is preferably and conveniently of the construction setforth in said Letters Patent No. 1,093,250; its features not already mentioned being a pair of rigid ably in the form of" an open ended embossed portion of each shackle end, aguard pro jection 18 at the back of the inlet guard-8 on the shackle end 5, inspection holes 19 with flanking ribs 20 atboth ends of'the' shackle, concave, catch-engaging shackle ex Patented May 4t, 1915.

tremities 21, and the customary lettering or distinguishing marks; the latter represented by A. B. O., R. R. and 2456 in Fig. 7. I

The improved double center piece 0 or 0 in addition to its features already mentioned, is constructed with two pairs of guide projections, 7 or 7", hereinafter termed guides, integral with the inner body portions of the center piece and bent outwardly at right angles. These guides engage the edges of the shackle b and center the shackle ends 5 and 6 as they successively enter the seal part a; aiding to insure the alinement of said catch members 17 with the spring'catches 17 thus to insure the interlocking of these catches and catch members, and also serving to prevent the second shackle end, 6, from catching within the seal-part without being fastened, which condition might escape immediate detection at the sealing operation which is frequently hurried. The catches 17 in the improved construction project centrally downward, and are conveniently made longer and with both edges equally free, and are carried by the inner members of the body of the center piece, as compared with those shown in the drawings accompanying mylast previous specification. See Fig. 2. The bottom of the improved center piece is re cessed and its portions adjoining said bends 11, 12, 13, 1 1 form surfaces adapted to interlock said catch shoulders 15, 16 of each shackle end with one ofv said inner body members and one of the side members or wings 21, 22, respectively. Such catch-engaging surfaces are marked 15 16 in Fig. 9, which see. To insure the engagement of the respective catch shoulders 15, 16 with the appropriate catch-engaging surfacesl5 16, said wings, 21, 22, of the improved center piece are further provided with oblique spring fingers 23, integral with the metal of the wings at their upper ends, and adapted to engage with the outer face of each shackle end asits catch-shoulders 15, 16, approach and pass below the bottom extremities of the center piece, as in Fig. 10, so as topress inward that edge provided with said catch shoulder 15 so as to make sure that it shall interlock with the appropriate inner catchengaging surface 15, Fig. 9. The other edge of the shackle end is by the same impulse thrown outward so as to interlock with the appropriate outer catch-engaging surface 16, Fig. 9.

One end of the shackle b is customarily snap-fastened in the seal part b at the factory as. illustrated by Fig. 7 and the seal is applied as heretofore-by passing the free end of the shackle through a pair of cardoor staples, d 6, Fig 8, or the like, and snapfastening it in like manner. One way in which such seals are tested is by a jerk on of the center piece, and

the seal part a, and it is important that the strain of such jerks and like violent strains should be borne by all four of the catch shoulders 15, 16, and the four surfaces of the center piece 0 intended for engagement therewith. Such distribution of violent strains is insured by said spring fingers 23, and the more delicate spring catches 17 are thu guarded against breaking strains.

The shackle ends are thrust inward until stopped by the larger ends of the inlet guards8, 9, as shownin Fig. 10 at each fastening operation. When released the resiliency of the shackle suffices to draw them into their normal fastened positions, represented in Figs. 11 and 12, with the extremities of the spring catches 17 within the catch members 17, and the several catch shoulders 15,

16 in contact with the appropriate catchenga ing surfaces (15, .16, Fig. 9) of the center piece.

The guides 7 of the center piece 0, shown in Figs.'1 1 and represented in Figs. 512 are formed from the rounded upper corners of the inner body portions of the part as heretofore constructed by a suitable bending operation, and this mode of forming such guides ispreferred. The modified guides 7 of the center piece 0 shown in Figs. 13 and let are formed by partly severing the required metal by horizontal cuts, and then bending the guides into efiective position. In both forms said guides 7 not only center the shackle ends, and prevent the second shackle end, 6, from catching within the seal part without being securely fastened as aforesaid; but they also project sufficiently to, prevent the displacement ofthe center piece by pulling strains. See the dotted lines at 7 in Fig. 6. 1

It will be understood that the novelty of the present improvement is confined to the improved center piece 0 or 0 and combinations into which its new features enterf Other features incidentally mentioned may obviously in some instances be wholly omitted; and other like modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

Having thus described said improvement, I claim as my invention, and desire to patent under this specification:

1. In a snap seal of the type hereinbefore specified, the combination with a resiliently flexible shackle both ends of which are pro- 2 vided with fastening members, and a bulbshaped seal part having an inlet hole in its top fitted to said shackle ends, of a double center piece inclosed within said seal part and adapted to interlock with said shackle ends, substantially as described, and having guides integral with the upper inner part thereof adapted to engage the edges of said shackle ends and properly aline same for the locking operation. 1

a 2. In a snap seal of the type hereinbefore ice specified, the combination with a resiliently flexible shackle both ends of which are provided with fastening members, and a bulb: shaped seal part having an inlet hole in its top fitted to said shackle ends, of a double center piece inclosed within said seal part adapted to interlock the said shackle ends, substantially as described, and having guides integral with the inner body portions of said center piece bent outwardly at right angles thereto and adapted to engage the edges of said shackle ends and properly aline same for the locking operation.

3. In a snap seal of'the type hereinbefore specified, the combination with a resiliently flexible shackle both ends of which are provided with fastening members, and a bulbshaped seal part having an inlet hole in its top fitted to said shackle ends, of a double center piece inclosed within said seal part provided with catches and catch surfaces adapted to interlock with said shackle ends, substantially as described, and having spring fingers adapted to engage the outer faces of the ends of said shackle and press the same into effective engagement with said catches and catch surfaces.

4:. In a snap seal of the type hereinbefore specified, the combination with a resiliently flexible shackle both ends of which are provided with fastening members, and a bulbshaped seal part having an inlet hole in its top fitted to said shackle ends, of a double center piece inclosed within said seal part provided with catches and catch surfaces adapted to interlock with said shackle ends, substantially as described, and having oblique spring fingers integral with the outer body portions of said center part at its upper ends adapted to engage the outer faces of the ends of said shackles and press same into effective engagement with said catches and catch surfaces.

5. An improved snap seal having, in combination, a resiliently flexible shackle both ends of which are provided with fastening members, a bulb-shaped seal part slotted to form inlet holes for said shackle ends, and a double center piece adapted to be contained within said seal part having catches and catch surfaces adapted to interlock with the fastening members of said shackle ends, spring fingers adapted to press said shackle ends into engagement with said catches. and catch surfaces, and guide members adapted to engage the edges of said shackle ends and properly aline same for the locking operation; substantially as hereinbefore specified.

EDWARD J. BROOKS.

Witnesses:

JOHN J. MOORE, LEONARD O. LINDSAY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

